In this Oct. 18, 2010 file photo, an Amazon.com package is prepared for shipment by a United Parcel Service driver in Palo Alto, Calif. Michigan legislators are pushing measures to capture the state's share of hundreds of millions of dollars in annual taxes from Amazon, eBay and other Internet retailers.AP File Photo

LANSING, MI -- Michigan Republicans may be hoping for a cease fire following a lengthy fight over Medicaid expansion, but at least one tea party leader is urging his troops to gear up for "the next battle" in Lansing.

The House Tax Policy Committee on Wednesday will resume consideration of legislation that would require out-of-state companies to collect sales tax on online sales to Michigan customers.

Republicans state Reps. Eileen Kowall of White Lake and Rob VerHeulen of Walker re-introduced the bipartisan bills in February, arguing that tax-free online sales are hurting local companies, which must collect sales tax if they have a brick-and-mortar building in Michigan.

Buy a shirt at a local boutique and you pay sales tax. Buy that same shirt online at the same base price, and you don't pay that extra six percent up front.

"This legislation is about fairness, about letting businesses compete on the merit of their goods and services, not who has better carve-outs in the tax code," Kowall said upon introduction. "This is a common sense change to make the tax code fairer for every Michigan small business owner."

The "main street fairness" bills are similar to legislation approved earlier this year by the U.S. Senate. The federal legislation, which Republican Gov. Rick Snyder urged lawmakers to approve, is currently stalled in a House committee.

Several states have responded to the lack of federal action by moving forward with their own internet sales tax bills. As Politico reported this summer, the debate has split Republican majorities in some of those states.

For Michigan, it's an old debate with a new tea party twist.

Former Republican state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk, who now heads the Madison Project Michigan political action committee, blasted the bills last week in an email sent to supporters, calling it "the next battle" after the intra-party fight over Medicaid expansion.

"If you know anything about government, you know that when they say 'fairness' they are talking about taking more of your money in a misguided attempt to 'level the playing field,'" wrote Hoogendyk. "You also know that the most level playing field is the free market."

Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform and architect of the "no new taxes pledge," submitted written testimony opposing the bills at an earlier hearing in May. Hoogendyk's email listed 14 Michigan Republicans who have signed the pledge, including Kowall.

Backers say the legislation is not a new tax. Michigan law actually already requires residents to pay a six percent "use tax" on goods purchased out of state, but the state relies on consumers to voluntarily pay the tax, and few do.

The state treasury estimates that Michigan residents will owe $460 million in use tax from remote sales this year, but most of that money will go uncollected. In 2011, for instance, Michiganders reported a grand total of $5.68 million in use tax on their state income filings.

SNYDER TALKING UP MICHIGAN IN ASIA

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is continuing his whirlwind Asian trade mission this week, and MLive reporter Melissa Anders is following along. This weekend, Snyder spoke with Chinese media and tried to convince them that Detroit's bankruptcy is a positive move for the city. Check out complete coverage of the trade mission and return to MLive all week for updates.

TEACHER EVALUATIONS

Michigan's new teacher tenure reform law anticipated new evaluation mechanisms for measuring classroom effectiveness but did not specify what those evaluations will look like. Now, more than two years after approving the controversial tenure reform package, Michigan lawmakers are revisiting the issue.

On Wednesday, the House and Senate education committees will hold a joint hearing and listen to testimony from Dr. Deborah Ball, chair of the Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness, about the council’s recommendations for how public school teachers and administrators should be judged on their performance. The council recommended using direct observations and student performance to determine confidential rankings, but said the grades should not be used in a merit pay system.

RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS FOR GAY ADOPTIONS

Michigan law does not allow gay couples joint adoption, and resurrected legislation could prevent gay individuals from adopting from certain agencies. House Bills 4927 and 4928 would ensure that faith-based organizations would not risk state funding if they choose not to perform or assist in any adoptions that violate their religious or moral convictions.

The House Families, Children and Seniors committee approved similar bills last year, but they did not receive a vote in the House. Republican Reps. Kenneth Kurtz of Coldwater and Andrea LaFontaine of Columbus Township re-introduced the bills late last month. And Kurtz, who chairs the committee, scheduled a hearing for Wednesday morning.

Supporters say the "conscience protections" will protect faith-based adoption agencies from losing funding for following their religious beliefs, but critics have called the measures a "license to discriminate" against same-sex citizens.

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter.